Circuit interrupter



G. L. CHRISTMAN AND J. B. MACNEILL.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT I6, IBIS.

1,427,358- Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IIIIIII WITNI-:ssEsf INVJEIITOR (maag/(2A. (J2e 2502/02/ ATTORNEY G. L. CHRISTMAN AND l. B. MACNEILL.

CIRCUIT INTERHUPTER.

APPLICAHON FILED-SEPT xe, |918.

1 ,427, 3 58. Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETSW'SHEET 2` ATTORNEY UNITED STATES GEORGE L. CHBISTMAN, OF SWISSVALE, AND JOHN B. MACNEILL PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS T WESTINGHOUSE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

0F WILXINBBUBG, ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CIRCUIT IN TERRUPTEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

Application filed September 16, 1918. Serial No. 254,223.

"'States, and a resident of W ilkinsburg, in

the county of Allegheny and StateofPenn- Sylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit Interrupters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to circuit interrupters and particularly to quick-acting field-discharge switches.

@ne object of our invention is to provide a field-discharge switch that shall have means for quickly snapping its contact members into and out of engagement..

Another object of our invention is to provied a double-throw switch, of the aboveindicated character, that shall have means for maintaining one pair of contact members in engagement until the other pair, are quickly engaged and then to quickly disengagethe first-mentioned pair. Q

A further object of our invention is to provide a quick-acting switch, of the above indicated character, that shall be simple and inexpensive to construct and effective in its operation. h

In practicing our invention, we provide a rotatable member having relatively movable contact members and a lever arm mounted thereon. A lever arm is looselv mounted on the rotatable member and is normally disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the other lever arm and a spring operatively connects the outer ends of the lever arms together. Vith this arrangement, the movement of the loosely-mounted lever arinvfill move thespring over its dead-center position and thus cause the contact members to snap quickly into and out of engagement.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a double-throw switch embodying our invention; and Fig. 2- is a top plan view of the switch shown in Fi 1. i

'Ihe double-throw switch 1. comprises, in general, a supporting panel 2 uponywhich is mounted terminal members 3, 4 and 5 and supporting brackets 6 that are adapted to support the movable contact members 7 and between the ends 8 ofthe switch and the quick-acting operating`mechanism of the saine.

he terminal member 3 is operatively connected to one terminal of a blow-out coil 9 that 1s mounted on a supporting member 10 upon which is also mounted a stationary contact member 11 which is disposed in an arc chute 12. The terminal member 4 is operatively connected to a supporting member 13 that is provided with a stationary contact member 14 which is adapted to be engaged by the movable contact member 8. The contact members 7 and 8 are pivotally mounted on a member 15 that is secured to a shaft 16 which is journaled in the supporting brackets 6. The contact members' 7 and 8 are connected, through flexible conductors 25, to the terminal member 5. A lever arm 17 is ixedly mounted on the shaft 16 and a lever arm 18 is loosely mounted thereon. A connecting means 19 is provided for receiving an operating rod (not shown) for the purpose of actuating the lever arm 18. A coil spring 20 is disposed of the arms 17 and 18, which form an obtuse angle with respect to each other when one pair of the contact mein bers are in engagement. Springs 21 and 22 are disposed betweeiithe contact members 7 and 8 and projections 23 and 24 of the member 15, respectively, and are adapted to so restrain the relative movement of the contact members 7 and 8 that the contact mem ber 8 engages the stationary contact member 14 before the contact member 7 becomes disengaged from the stationary contact meinber 11.

If it is desired to eiiect engagement of the contact members 8 and 14, and disengagement of the members 7 and 11, the lever arm 18 is moved to such position that the spring 20 is biased across its dead center position or, in other words, across the center line of the lever 17. When the spring 2O is moved over this position, it will cause the lever arm 17 and, consequently, the rotatable member 16 and the contact carrying member 15 to be quickly moved in a clockwise direction to first effect engagement of the Contact members 8 and 14 and, after the spring 21 is expanded a predetermined amount, disengagement of the contact members 7 and 11.

If it is desired to quickly effect engagie- CII ment of the contact members 7 and 11, the lever arm 18 is moved in a clockwise direction and-` when the spring 2() is moved over its dead-center position, it will so actuate the lever. arm 17 as to cause the rotatable member 16 to be quickly actuated and the contact-carrying member 15 to be snapped into such position that the contact member 7 engages the stationary contact member 11.

While our invention is particularly adapted for field-discharge switches, it is not so limited and various modifications may be made therein Within the spirit and scope oi the appended claims.

le claim as our invention:

1. A switch comprising stationary contact members, a movable operatiimn memf ber and asynchronously movable co-operating Contact members 'for said stationary Contact members movably mounted on said operatingA member to permit the engagen ment ot one of said movabie contact members with its cooperatingstationary contact member before the disengafrement ci* another ot movable Contact members from its cooper stationary Contact member'.

2. L switch comprising oppositely-disposed stationary contact inemberaamovabie operating1 member disposed therebetween.) a cooperating; Contact member tm each ot said stationary Contact members relatively movabiy mounted sain operati; ber and yieldable means holt of said movable Contact members in c ment with its cri-operating stationary contact member until the other oil7 said movable Contact members has engaged its co-open ating stationary contact member'.

3. A switch comprising` opposite-lysdisposed stationary contact members, a movable operating,T member disposed therebe tween, a (3o-operating contact member for each of said stationary contact members reiatively movably mounted on said operating member, yieldabie means tor holdingone of said movable contact members in engagement with its cooperating stationary contact member until the other of said movable contact members has engaged its co-operating stationary contact member and means for effecting the relatively-quick disengagement of one orn the movable contact members A.trom its cio-operating contact member after said stationary contact members pivotally mounted on said operating member and a spring disposed between each of said pivoted contact members and said operating member for holding either one of said 4pivoted Contact members in engagement with its cooperating stationary contact member until the other of said pivoted Contact members has engaged its cri-operating stationary contact member.

A switch comprising oppositelydisposed stationary contact members, a pivoted operating member disposed therebetween7 a cooperating contact member for each of said stationary Contact members pivotally mounted on said operating' membem a spring disposed between each of said pivoted contact and said operating member :tor holding either one oi said pivoted contact .members in engagement with its (3o-operating stationary contact member til the other of said pivoted contact mem* bers has engaged its cri-operating' stationary cor member7 and an over-the-center spring device eidectinp; a relativelydic-ir disengagement of one et the pivoted tact members after the other pivoted act member has engaged its co-operng; static Contact member.

A switch ce" rising stationary contact members7 a. ng member, cooperating co or said stationary contact me unted on the operating member 2 movenxent relatively to one another and to the operatino member, and means for yieldingly maintaini one of the movable contact members in engagement with one of the stationary conte et members until the other movable contact member has been moved into engagement with the other of said stationary contact members.

in testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 4th day of Sept., 19%.

GERGE L. GHRSTMAN. JOHN MaelllillLL. 

